From Dull to SKINtastic!

'March is Nutrition Month'

Let’s face it our diet affects everything in our body. Food fills you up, gives you pleasure and plays a vital role in how you look, feel and age. You’re a walking product of everything you’ve chosen to consume. Doesn’t it make sense to nourish your body with the best possible ingredients???

Your skin is yours FOREVER… The best advice I’ve ever gotten: “Take care of your skin NOW! It’s the one thing you can’t fix later on. It’s the one thing that will make you look youthful or make you look old.”

True, True and Very True!

The Basics:
Beta-Carotene rich fruits and vegetables are essential for healthy skin, scalp and mucous membrane. These include tomatoes, squash and carrots. For a complete list click here.  

Introduce Omega-3 and Omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids into your diet. It’s the single most important factor in preventing dry skin. They promote longevity by decreasing cholesterol, improving insulin sensitivity, reducing inflammation and facilitating weight loss. These include salmon, mackerel, flax seeds, olive oil, dark leafy greens, avocado, soybeans, tofu, miso, nuts and seeds.

Orange seafood, such as salmon and lobster, contain astaxanthin a potent antioxidant that protects skin from environmental damage, age spots and wrinkles.

Nuts and seeds are rich in vitamin E, which protects the skin from UV sun damage.

Foods rich in vitamin C promote anti-aging, skin-firming collagen and antioxidants. For a list of vitamin C rich foods click here.  

Unrefined whole grains help repair aging and damaged skin, hair and nails. Their high fibre content will help fill you up with fewer calories. For a list of whole grains click here.

Water is important to the well-being of your skin. Water keeps skin hydrated and keeps cell walls strong. You should drink 8 glass (8oz = 1 glass) of water per day!

Some of us don’t absorb all the vitamins and nutrients we need from our food. Take a multi-vitamin to get the essential nutrients your body needs.

Anti-Aging Super Foods:
Tomatoes, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, berries, grapes, garlic, onions, citrus fruits, green tea, soybeans, tofu, miso, salmon, mackerel, herring, turmeric, cinnamon and cumin.

Reduce Puffy Eyes:
Asparagus and parsley reduce bloating. Bananas and citrus fruits are potassium rich, which help maintain a good balance of fluids. Cayenne and pepper help with circulation and lymphatic drainage around the eyes.

Acne:
Beta-carotene also converts to oil reducing vitamin A that helps protect skin from acne. Leafy green vegetables contain B vitamins that minimize swelling, which reduces pimples. 

Dull Skin:
Green and orange vegetables increase vitamin A levels, which makes skin cells shed faster for a radiant, glowing complexion. Soybeans and yams contain plant estrogens, which help brighten skin.

No-No's:
Refined, white, carbohydrates
High sugar intake
Exposure to the sun without the use of sunscreen!
Smoking
Too much alcohol consumption
Make sure you clean your face regularly and exfoliate to allow your skin to breath

For Skin Cleansing Advice and Products CHECK OUT:
Let's Get SKINtimate
GLOW BABY GLOW
the MASK

Nutritionista's Recipe Corner:

Spicy Carrot Soup

2 teaspoon Sunflower Oil

6 Carrots, chopped  
1 Apple, chopped
1 Onion, chopped
1 tablespoon Curry Powder
2 cups Vegetable Broth
1 cup Almond Milk



Heat the oil in the pot and cook the curry powder for one minute.
Add the carrots, onion and apple to the pot, stir well and cover.
Leave pot covered over low heat for about 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, move the ingredients from the pot into a food processor and add the two cups of vegetable broth and the one cup of almond milk. Process until smooth. Move back into pot, heat and enjoy!

 Stay Healthy!

Add a Little Beet to Your Day

'March is Nutrition Month'

More and more we hear about the big C. We hear about those who’ve got it, those who’ve fought it and sadly those who’ve lost their lives to it. Every single one of us has known someone or of someone who has been affected by cancer.

Some statistics to consider:
An estimated 22,700 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 5,400 will die of it.
An estimated 180 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 50 will die of it.
On average, 437 Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer every week.
On average, 104 Canadian women will die of breast cancer every week.
In 2009, an estimated 23,400 Canadians will be diagnosed with lung cancer and 20,500 will die of it.
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women.
An estimated 25,500 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 4,400 will die of it.
On average, 490 Canadian men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer every week.
On average, 85 Canadian men will die of prostate cancer every week.

The statistics put a knot in my stomach and an ache in my heart. It’s hard to do everything right and it’s hard to be 100 per cent healthy. In the midst of Nutrition Month, I say: Aim for better health, more energy and a happier you.

No one knows what the future holds, but we do know what's in the now. Embrace your today, your now, and strive for your best...

Start by adding a little beet to your day! I'm not referring to music, although a little music always makes the day much brighter. I'm referring to the beets that you eat. The purple vegetable that many avoid and ignore and very few incorporate into their meals.

Beets are considered the cancer-fighting vegetable. They are rich in folic acid, which is good for cardiovascular and brain health, and potassium, which is important for muscle function and general metabolic activity.

Women can benefit from beets during their menstrual cycle because it replenishes iron lost. Beets also help those with iron-deficiency anaemia.

If it’s your liver you’re worried about then beets help in cleansing and strengthening the liver. The liver is one of the most important organs in the body. Its function is to filter toxins. If the liver is overworked, it will not be able to function properly. This leaves your body open to disease and illness. Some factors that affect the liver include: extensive use of medication, greasy foods, processed foods, chemical exposure and pollution.

Next time you’re at the grocery store add a bouquet of beets to your cart. Steam them and add them to your salads or throw them into your juicer!

Nutritionista's Recipe Corner:
Sweet Beet Juice

This is one of my favourite juices.
It flushes toxins out of the liver and strengthens the immune system.  

1 large carrot
1 small apple
1 beet

Throw in the juicer and enjoy!

This post is dedicated to everyone and anyone affected by cancer.

I hope and pray for a cure in my lifetime. A cure that will stop suffering, fear and loss.

"Hope is the power that gives us the power to step out and try." 

Stay Healthy!

Why Organic?

'March is Nutrition Month'

We're constantly bombarded with information on why to choose organic foods. Last month I heard a speech on the importance of organic foods, Thanx @emjephcott, and thought of all of you.

Why Choose Organic?
1) It’s Healthy: Organic food contains higher levels of nutrients
2) No Additives: Organic food doesn’t contain food additives which can cause health problems
3) Restricts Pesticide Use: Organic farmers develop nutrient-rich soil to grow strong and healthy crops and encourage wildlife to help control pests and disease
4) No GM: Genetically Modified crops and ingredients are not allowed under organic standards 
5)Care for Animals: Animal welfare is taken very seriously under organic standards. A truly free-range life for farm animals is guaranteed
6)Good for the Environment: Organic farming causes lower pollution from sprays, produces less carbon dioxide, the main global warming gas, and less dangerous wastes
7) Tastes much better!

I know that organic foods can be expensive so here's a list of the Top 12 Fruits & Vegetables You Should Buy Organic:
Nectarines – 97.3% of nectarines sampled were found to contain pesticides.
Celery – 94.5% of celery sampled were found to contain pesticides.
Pears – 94.4% of pears sampled were found to contain pesticides.
Peaches – 93.7% of peaches sampled were found to contain pesticides.
Apples – 91% of apples sampled were found to contain pesticides.
Cherries – 91% of cherries sampled were found to contain pesticides.
Strawberries – 90% of strawberries sampled were found to contain pesticides.
Imported Grapes – 86% of imported grapes (i.e. Chile) sampled were found to contain pesticides.
Spinach – 83.4% of spinach sampled were found to contain pesticides.
Potatoes – 79.3% of potatoes sampled were found to contain pesticides.
Bell Peppers – 68% of bell peppers sampled were found to contain pesticides.
Red Raspberries – 59% of red raspberries sampled were found to contain pesticides.
 
Check out: 
The Dirty Dozen: Top 12 Foods to Eat Organic
Ditching processed foods is not as easy as it looks
It's Worth It 
 

Stay Healthy!